SOLVE MAC ISSUES
Run checks to ensure your Mac’s performance
IT WILL TAKE 15-30 minutes
YOU WILL LEARN How to diagnose and tackle Mac security and performance issues
YOU’LL NEED macOS 10.9 or later EtreCheckPro (Free)
Even if your Mac isn’t suffering from beach balls, crashes or kernel panics, you’ll still want it to run faster. EtreCheckPro (etrecheck.com) gives it an excellent all-round check which highlights any problems, and draws your attention to practical measures you can apply to fix or improve them.
Once it has run its checks, it lists major and minor issues which need to be addressed. Its free version provides a thorough analysis of security protection, and a long text report with full details. Coupled with utilities which are bundled with macOS, you should then be able to fix many of the problems it can detect.
If you get out of your depth and seek help from Apple Support Communities, EtreCheck Pro’s report enables experts there to hone in quickly on a diagnosis. If you run it any more than occasionally, we’d recommend the in-app purchase of its Power User package ($17.99, about £13) for access to enhanced features, particularly its advanced analytics. Howard Oakley
4 Review security
Select the Security item on the left to examine any problems with macOS security settings. Where Security Updates are disabled, click on the button to Fix this in the Advanced settings of the Software Update pane.
5 Check memory use
Excessive memory use is common. Follow concerns up by looking in the Memory tab of Activity Monitor. Swap Used showing ‘0 bytes’ is a good sign. Confirm this in Disk Utility with a small VM volume in the startup container.
6 Review CPU use
Activity Monitor’s CPU tab and its CPU History window also give a good idea of the processor loading over the last few minutes, and which processes have taken the lion’s share. Leave this open while you’re working.
7 Weed Login Items
EtreCheckPro’s listing of Login Items is far more thorough than those offered in the Users & Groups pane, but this is your main control over them. Select unwanted items and click on the ‘–’ below the list to remove them.
8 Daemons and Agents
Old and unwanted LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons can be removed manually from their folders in the main Library and the one in your Home folder. They should also be trashed when you uninstall the app which added them.
9 Kernel extensions
These are notorious causes of crashes and panics, particularly when they’re old. Try to remove them through the app which put them there, otherwise you should be able to trash them, authenticating if necessary.
10 Unwanted sharing
If the app identifies a sharing service that you no longer need, disable it in the Sharing pane. Some like Remote Login and Management can pose a security risk. Others like File Sharing just impose extra overhead.
11 Additional features
Paying for the app’s Power User package through in-app purchase brings many additional features, the most useful of which highlight areas that merit more detailed attention to improve the overall performance of your Mac.
12 Study analytics
The jewel in the Power User crown is its graphical presentation of saved analytics for the last few days, accessed within the Performance section. These give insight into memory, storage, network and CPU usage.